


Rise of the Little Nightmares

by Zuhelle



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012), RotG
Genre: Angst, little nightmares - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 23:34:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17130815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zuhelle/pseuds/Zuhelle
Summary: Taken from my deviantart Rise of the Guardians Anniversary Event Month where I crossed over ROTG with the game: Little Nightmares.ROTG and Little Nightmares were both heavily influential on me and my career / style choices. So while it may seem strange to others to crossover these franchises, when put into perspective, it actually works really well.Some characters are concept-art based, and some of their roles / plot lines are slightly swapped or switched around at times. Be warned, such happy endings don't exist in this crossover.Little Nightmares's plot is not 100% clear, so this was made out of my understanding or interpretation of it... mixed with the crossover. Anyhow, you don't have to know the game to get a grasp on what is going on here. Though I'd still highly recommend the game to people who like creepy/cute styles and games with puzzles~!





	1. The Ferryman

**Author's Note:**

> Taken from my deviantart Rise of the Guardians Anniversary Event Month where I crossed over ROTG with the game: Little Nightmares.  
> ROTG and Little Nightmares were both heavily influential on me and my career / style choices. So while it may seem strange to others to crossover these franchises, when put into perspective, it actually works really well.  
> Some characters are concept-art based, and some of their roles / plot lines are slightly swapped or switched around at times. Be warned, such happy endings don't exist in this crossover.  
> Little Nightmares's plot is not 100% clear, so this was made out of my understanding or interpretation of it... mixed with the crossover. Anyhow, you don't have to know the game to get a grasp on what is going on here. Though I'd still highly recommend the game to people who like creepy/cute styles and games with puzzles~!

Not much is known about the Ferryman. He most certainly isn’t a fairy. In fact, he’s described as a large bunny. Soft fur, twisty whiskers, large ears….but don’t let let his fluffy description fool you, children. His eyes are hollow, and younglings that come in contact with him are never seen again. 

Rumor has it, he takes you somewhere far away. Far out into the ocean. Maybe to eat you, or feed you to the fish. 

 

One minute he’s here, another, he’s over there. He seems to move in the blink of an eye. 

This rabbit has been many places, and surely traveled all seven seas, gathering children for a terrifying plot. 

Parents tell this tale to keep children from straying too far from them. 

“You don’t want the Ferryman to catch you in the cold.” 

 

Unfortunately for Jack and Mary, this was not a fable, and caught in the cold? Indeed they were. 

It was a cold rainy night, and their mother was poor. She still did her best to provide for her children. 

Because she always worked, and couldn’t have them by her side, she trusted the eldest…Jack, to take care of his sibling and himself. 

One night, Jack found that they were low on food. He took what little money his mother provided him with the previous day, and took Mary out with him to fetch some dinner. 

It was cold and rainy….stormy, even. Lightning struck and shined off the tall skyscrapers. 

There were hundreds of people walking by them, even at such a strange time of night. Jack held Mary’s hand tightly, his bare feet scampering among the puddles in the streets. 

 

It was dark; seeing was difficult enough as it was. Jack tried to shield himself and his sister with his brown sopping cloak. 

But doing so caused him to accidentally bump into someone. 

Jack was about to apologize, until he realized a shadow was looming over him. 

Jack and Mary looked up, and came face to face with the fabled rabbit. 

No one around them seemed to notice this strange creature…..it was if he didn’t exist. 

Mary clung to Jack in fear, and Jack balled his fists, ready to flee- 

 

A large furry paw stretched to them, Jack flinched backwards, trying to avoid it- 

but it simply laid on top of his small head. 

“Little ankle biters such as yourselves shouldn’t be out at this time of night…..alone…” 

it said with a smile. 

 

Before Jack and Mary could react, they blinked, and suddenly they were in the middle of nowhere, on a row boat, with this beast. 

Mary started to cry, and Jack desperately looked around the boat. 

He couldn’t swim, and neither could Mary. They didn’t even know where they were. There was no ocean near their city. 

“Take us home!” Jack pleaded, his stance shaken. 

“You are home….” the beast said…

 

“You are home…..” 

 

A large, rounded ship with a chimney top seemed to roar out from the depths of the sea. 

Like a monster, its mouth opened wide, revealing its metallic interior. 

Jack held his sister close, as they were transferred into its jaws….. he looked back to see the FerryRabbit standing upward on his little rowboat, staring back at him. 

Then, the jaws of the beast shut in front of his line of vision, and everything went dark. 

 


	2. Prison Escape

Jack and Mary were met with candle light, and small strange creatures that hid their bodies within red hats. 

They seemed harmless, and actually somewhat cute to Mary’s relief. 

The little creatures croaked at them, beckoning them to follow. 

Reluctantly, they did, and were transported to their quarters amongst what appeared to be dozens of other kidnapped children. 

 

Within the week they stayed there, they were surprisingly fed well, kept warm, and even had toys to play with. However, they were informed not to leave the area, for horrific dangers lurked about in this awful place. 

Talking amongst the other children, Jack was able to learn some things. 

They were on a massive ship called “The Maw”. All children were brought here by the Bunny man as well. As to why, none of them were sure. 

There were very few that snuck out and made it back alive, panicked and traumatized. Apparently there weren’t just children being transported onto the ship. Large adults were spotted, lined up, and marching toward an area quite fancier than the children’s play area. 

Were they there to feast upon the little children’s bodies? Were they to become slaves to some unknown buyer? The mysteries piled up, one on top of the other, Jack couldn’t piece together these strange rumors. 

 

But then, a quiet kid, about a year less than Jack’s age, whispered in a raspy voice from his dark corner… 

“Beware the Lord of the Maw.” 

 

Who was this ‘Lord’? Is he in charge here? 

Maybe…if Jack were to find him…… he could convince him to let them all free…..

Then again, he also had Mary to take care of….whom was wondering off yet again. 

 

“Mary!” Jack whispered, quickly following pursuit of his escapist little sister. 

She had fashioned a rope out of bedsheets, and tossed it out the barred window of the bathroom. 

“Mary- we shouldn’t do this, its dangerous!” 

Mary laughed with confidence, taking out a long object from behind her back. “Come on Jack- we gotta find a way out of here!” 

The children were kind and fun to play with here, but Mary missed their mother. It was too dark here, and she’d get sea sick often. It was clear she wanted to go home. 

Jack strangely was feeling a call to adventure himself, but…..this place was too dangerous. He just wasn’t ready. 

 

A small “crack” was heard, and Jack looked up to see his sister’s object: a blue glow stick, bright in her tiny hands. 

“Let’s get out of here, Jack!” 

 

“Mary- wait!” 

Mary started running, the pitter patter of her feet on the cold ground echoed in the strange wide halls. 

Jack heard squirming and screeching above them. Looking up, dozens of leeches started to fall from the ceiling, and slither their way towards the poor children’s small feet. 

“MARY! RUN!” 

Mary noticed the leeches and froze in fear. Jack ran faster, quickly snatching her up into his arms, and busted his way through a boarded up door. 

The leeches seemed to cease their chase, but Jack had hit his head hard on that wood…..he was dizzy, and couldn’t get up. 

Just…just a little rest wouldn’t do him in, surely… 

 

First thing Jack noticed when he woke….Mary was missing. 

He called her name, it echoed amongst the creaking floor boards. 

He felt his way along the walls, until he came across a blue glow within the crack of the wall. 

Squeezing through, he stumbled out into a room. A single blue glow stick rested in the middle. 

He quickly grabbed it, swishing it left and right until he came across oil-stained foot prints leading to a hole. Black hand prints were pressed hard on the splintering wood…and when he peered outside, a single, fat leech drooled at him. 

 

Shock over took him, tears welled in his eyes. 

The leech was coming for him. But he couldn’t- he couldn’t bring himself to fight. 

He just ran. He ran, and ran, as fast as he could. 

Until he stumbled and fell, weeping, hyperventilating. 

“Mary……Mary…!” Jack cried, he was all alone. 

None of the children here were safe. 

How many more would suffer the same fate as his sister? If not worse? What was in store for him? 

A room over, the sound of water swayed beneath him. He stood up and peered into the murky sludge. 

A cold chill ran up his spine, and he plunged himself into the flooding room below. 

 


	3. The Hanged Man

It was dark, and cold…and scary…. 

At the center of a black abyss, swirled a chilling fog….only to disperse and reveal a tall dark man in a mask….

slowly turning his head to look back at me…

 

Jack woke with a start. He found himself tucked into a large briefcase, and his cloak was gone. 

Next to the briefcase, on the cold damp ground lay a blue hoodie.... bright against the monotone walls of the Maw. 

Jack quickly snatched it up and hauled it over his head, shivering with newfound warmth. 

Leaning over, Jack found his reflection in a rippling puddle. Gasping at the sight, his hair was turning a ghastly white.

What happened? All he remembered was throwing himself into a flooded room below him…. did it…drain? 

 

Like a flood itself, the memories of what happened before filled his thoughts.

Mary was gone. 

A single tear trailed down Jack’s cheek, and he took a deep breath, and stood tall. 

“I’ll escape this prison and find a way to free everyone….for you, Mary. I’ll get revenge on the man responsible for this.” 

The man in Jack’s nightmare…was that the “lord”? A room far from the one he stood in seemed to call out to him. A hummed song rang in his head, luring, deep, and dark. 

Follow the song of the Lord of the Maw, and his quarters shall be revealed to you. 

 

Jack quickly walked over and climbed through a vent in the wall to the right of him. 

A stained mattress was waiting to catch him. 

The room was foggy and dusty…wooden boards, steel pipes, torn cloth…

…but at the center, lay a letter. 

Above the letter, a chair. 

Above the chair…..feet. 

Dangling feet attached to long, sickly thin legs.   
The pants were bright and elegant, his shoes shone with glamour. 

Well dressed the man hanging far above him. 

 

Hesitant and quiet, Jack slowly made his way over to the chair, and decided to leave the letter alone. That was for someone else's eyes to read. 

Who was this man? His body was so long and so high up in the ceiling, his torso couldn’t even be seen, let alone his face. 

Did this man save him? To be in a suitcase only in the next room with new clothing….

No, Jack didn’t have time to think about any of this. 

He didn’t want to think about any of this. 

 

The chair screeched as he slid it to the door, hopped on top, and clicked the handle. 

The door creaked open, and the next room awaited Jack with nothing but darkness.

Jack stepped forward with new purpose, unlike before, when he fell into the liquid abyss. 

“I’ll avenge you, Mary. I’ll avenge you.” 

 


	4. Hunger

How many rooms were in this damn boat? 

Jack started to drag his feet in exhaustion. He seemed to be getting no where fast. 

He did his best to stay out of the way of the Janitor, or rather…”The Sandman” the children called him. 

A blind stubby man who had arms of golden sand. He was actually quite kind to the children, but he was still their prison keeper. 

Jack managed to slip right past him into the prisons….where he put naughty children that always tried to escape. 

 

If he could get through here, he may just get out of the Sandman’s reachable domain. A step toward getting out of this hell hole. 

Jack quickened his pace on the wooded hallway floor, before a sudden pain washed over him. 

All energy left his body, and he started to cough. 

His stomach- his stomach was…..he was starving. 

Its true he hadn’t eaten in a few hours, but…this was torture. 

First his hair turned white, and now this…. 

What was happening to him? 

 

Drool leaked out of his mouth as he panted, his toes curled in on themselves, and his hand clenched his side in anguish. 

His head was spinning, the lights were dimming… he was so….hungry. 

Suddenly, a small voice snapped him out of his delirium. 

“Hey! Hey are you okay?!” 

Jack couldn’t reply, his body wouldn’t let him. 

He miserably tried to look up and find the source of the voice, but a small blurry face was all the greeted him. 

“M-Mary…?” 

“Here- eat this!” 

A noise of something soft landed in front of him. His nose immediately whiffed up the smell of bread. 

 

Jack slowly crawled over to the delicious baguette piece; as soon as he held it in his hands, he scarfed it down as if he hadn’t eaten in years. 

His mind quickly came back to him, as his pain and hunger subsided. He could finally see straight, which gave him mixed feelings upon seeing the person who just saved him. 

It wasn’t Mary- it wasn’t a girl at all actually. It was a young boy who did bare a striking resemblance to his late sister though. 

“Are- are you okay?” Asked the boy. 

“Yes, I’m…I’m fine now. Thank you- uh…” 

“Jamie.” 

“Nice to meet you Jamie, I’m Jack.” 

 

“Are you part of the movement?” 

Jack squinted in confusion…. “Movement? What movement?” 

“About an hour ago….a bunch of kids banded together to try to get out of this place. I got lost and separated from my group….I hope…they’re okay. Have you seen anyone?” 

Jack was surprised that the children had such a spike in escapism ideals, but he couldn’t recall seeing anyone else in his journey…at least…not yet. 

“No, I’m sorry. You’re the only other kid I’ve come in contact with.” 

 

Jack saw the poor kid’s face fall, but he didn’t lose courage. 

“Jack- would you…..would you find a way to let me out of here? I want to find them.” 

Jack was hesitant. This kid was young. Just as young as his sister. He couldn’t bare the thought of this kid dying on his watch. It was better if he just stayed here until the Sandman let him back to his room on good behavior. 

“Jack….I…..I can’t stand this place. They took me away from my family….from my home. I can’t be here anymore.” 

Jamie’s eyes shined with still tears. Determination in his features. 

Jack stood up, making his way over to the bars Jamie was locked behind. 

No, no matter what becomes of them…..living in a place like this is worse than death. 

All doubt washed out of Jack’s mind as he too held the handle bars and came face to face with the young boy. 

 

"I’ll get you out of here, Jamie.”

Jamie’s face lit up with excitement, Jack noticed he was missing a tooth.

He wasn’t gonna let anything happen to this kid, not on his life.  

“…then we’ll escape this terrible place together.” 

 


	5. The Janitor

Jamie and Jack kept moving forward. 

Jack got another one of his hunger pains again, to which Jamie luckily found a piece of meat nearby. Unfortunately, Jack grabbed it from his hands and consumed it before they could cook it. Jack didn’t even seem to notice the meat was raw. 

Jamie was getting worried about Jack and his strange condition. He asked him about his white hair, but Jack couldn’t give him an answer…he just didn’t know either. 

The Maw is a strange place though, odd things are bound to happen. 

 

In many of the hallways, eye lights roamed the room. Anything that was caught in its light turned to stone. So many children fell victim to these things. 

Why would the Maw care for children and yet kill them on sight if they escaped their rooms? Just what did this ship want from them? 

Jamie was scared, but he had to stay brave. He kept thinking of his friends and family, how warm and happy he’ll be when he makes it home. 

His hand was squeezed firmly by Jack….he must have been missing his family too. 

With Jack’s blue glow stick lighting the way in front of them, Jamie couldn’t help but feel a sense of fun overcome him. Jack must have a younger sibling, just like Jamie did. Because he was an excellent older brother. Having him by his side just made this journey so much easier….. 

 

Jamie snapped out of his thoughts as he bumped into Jack’s shoulder.

Looking up, Jamie noticed that Jack was frozen in place. 

“Jack? What is-“ 

“SShhh!” 

Jamie peered around the corner with Jack and gasped quietly. 

It was the 'Sandman'. 

The blind janitor that monitored the children. 

 

He was in a workshop full of wooden toys and tools.

The toys were old, they couldn’t have been made by the Sandman. 

After all, he had no arms. 

Just golden sand that put children to sleep if it got in their eyes. His most powerful weapon to subdue misbehaving younglings. 

They thought he wouldn’t be out this far into the Maw. Its amazing how he could get from place to place so quickly despite his disabilities. 

Jack pushed Jamie back as the golden sand seemed to snake around toward them. 

It stopped abruptly to reach into an old bin with cloth covering its contents. 

To Jamie and Jack’s horror, a body of a dead child was selected and held up in the air for a second until it was pulled over to the Sandman’s work bench. 

The two boys quickly shuffled closer to see just what this man was doing. 

 

He wrapped the body in cloth, and hung it on a hook. These hooks were being transported out of the room. Where did they lead to? 

Perhaps the trash compartment? Maybe that was a way out.

Jack whispered to Jamie, “We gotta get on those hooks.” 

The two made an attempt to get to the other side of the room, doing their best to stay on the carpet so the creaking floorboards would stay silent. 

But a part of the carpet was bunched up, and Jamie tripped. 

The sandman quickly turned around, sniffing the air. A strange hissing noise seemed to swirl around the boys. 

“Jamie! Shut your eyes! Don’t let the sand reach your eyes!” 

 

Jamie did as he was told, and the two boys were lifted up into the swirling golden sand. 

Jamie kicked, trying to get free. How were they supposed to escape with their eyes closed? 

Jack took his glow stick in hand, and threw it at the man. 

He seemed to screech in surprise, and dropped Jack to the floor. 

“Jack?!” 

Jack’s eyes opened for a mere second, until his eyes landed on an old clock. 

Running towards it, he bashed the glass and moved the hour hand until it reached the nearest hour. 

A loud ringing noise emitted from the clock, which caused the Sandman’s sand to disperse in surprise pain. 

It tried to cover its ears, keeling over, waiting for the noise to end. 

Jack grabbed his glow stick, and then Jamie, and ran for the hooks. 

Pocketing his light source, he jumped and grabbed hold of one of the hooks. 

 

A noise came from behind them, and Jack turned his head to see the sand attempting to recapture Jamie, only to pull him out of Jack’s grip. 

“JAMIE!” Jack screamed, his hand reaching out for the boy that started to fall.

The sand didn’t resolidify in time to catch him. 

“JACK!” 

Jack could only watch as his new friend plunged into the darkness below. 

 


	6. The Grandpa

Jamie crashed into the chilling deep water below. 

Bubbles exploded around his body as he desperately clawed to get to the surface. 

He gasped for breath, shaken and aching from the long fall. 

He turned his head and found a large couch, floating peacefully in the water. 

Swimming over to it, he pulled himself over on to it, and laid down to catch his breath. 

“…Jack…” Jamie whispered sadly. Jack probably thought he was dead. HE thought he would be dead. He didn’t expect water to break his fall so harmlessly. 

Regardless, Jamie needed to get back to Jack. They promised that they’d get out of here together. 

Maybe there was a way upward from here? 

Jamie stood up, and jumped back into the water when he was ready. 

Dog paddling seemed the easiest for him, since treading water normally was difficult for him. Oh, how he wished his mother had given him more swimming lessons. 

 

A strange sinking noise made Jamie jolt in fear. 

Something was in here with him. 

Panicking, he quickly swam over to a nearby door frame that rested in the water. 

Standing up on it, he shook his head as water beads flung off his hair and dripped back into the water. 

Suddenly, a massive head rose up out of the depths. 

It was a hairy old man, his beard akin to a gigantic squid... squirming and swaying in the rippling waves. 

Jamie held his breath, and tried to step backwards- but the wooden door started to lose its balance. 

He did his best to re-root himself, maintaining eye contact with this beast. 

 

Large fingers attached to large hands creeped up near the sides of Jamie’s “boat”, ready to pounce. 

And pounce they did, but not before Jamie bailed on his raft and swam to the nearest object opposite of the man. 

How many monsters were in this place?!

Who is…WHAT is this elder? Rotting in the deep, abandoned and lost to the Maw above? So many of these decks were flooded, did no one ever come down here to clear them out? 

'Maybe this man wanted company….or maybe he wanted to eat me.’ Either way, Jamie really didn’t want to find out. 

 

Proceeding to lead this sea monster on a wild goose chase proved troublesome, but Jamie managed to escape its wrathful grasp, climbing up wooden boards to a high shelf that would protect him for a while longer. 

There were levers on this ship that controlled the water level, and he raised it to access the next room. 

However, this also made HIM accessible to the monster. It’s patience ran out as it tore off the support beams of his shelf. 

Acting quickly, Jamie plugged in an old tv that miraculously still worked. 

The beast growled and heckled, its voice deep, and desperation apparent. 

Jamie, with all his strength, pushed the tv into the water, causing a massive electrical shortage that fried the beast’s body. 

It screeched in shocked pain, and fell backwards into the water, sinking down…all the way to the bottom. 

 

Jamie did his best to calm his thrumming heart. This beast would hunt no more. 

With that being the only thought to comfort him in this horrid basement, he jumped back into the water, swam over to the next room, and climbed out of the liquid abyss. 

 


	7. The Children of the Maw

Jack slammed his fists into the ground angrily. He lost Mary, and now he lost Jamie. He was the worst older brother ever. Why did everyone around him die? 

Tears streamed down his face, and his fists shook with sadness. 

But he was suddenly taken aback by the awful smell that surrounded him. 

He was so distracted by Jamie’s fall that he failed to realize the mound of body bags he landed on top of. 

Jack wretched, plugging his nose and jolting to his feet. He awkwardly slid his way off the pile of deceased children. 

This place did everything in its power to torment him and the other kids that lived here, didn’t it?

Jamie would want Jack to keep going. Not like he had much of a choice after all, he refused to die in a place like this. 

 

Jack suddenly heard a strange noise. Looking down, he noticed a little creature. Mary told him that the other children called them “Nomes”. 

It squeaked and ran into a small crawl space to the left of the room. 

Cautiously, Jack approached, curious as to where these little creatures were always running off to. 

Jack rummaged through the darkness for a little while, until he started to hear whispers. 

There was a vent in front of him that was clearly loose; something bright was on the other side. It smelled like…a fire. 

“Who- who’s there?!” Came a tiny voice. 

Jack pushed up the vent, only for his eyes to fall on five young children wrapped in blankets around the warm fire. 

“H-hi, my name is Jack.” He said, amazed as to how these children came so far into the Maw. 

 

“Its a kid!” Shouted one of the younger boys. He looked like he had a twin. 

The taller, skinnier girl with a hat and scarf shivered and turned away from him. “We thought you might have been a leech.” 

Jack grimaced at the mention of those cursed deadly slugs. They’re the ones that took Mary from him. 

He crawled out from the vent, closing it quietly behind him, and walked over to the fire. 

One of the twins looked down at Jack’s bare feet in awe. “Dude, how are you not freezing?!” 

Jack peered down and wiggled his toes. “Oh, uh…I never noticed the chill…I don’t think it bothers me anymore.” 

 

The kids looked at him like he was crazy, but shrugged it off. They couldn’t blame him for being distracted, especially if he’s come as far as they have. 

He must still be in shock. 

Jack stood there awkwardly, his body swaying lightly side to side. “May I join you?” 

The kids looked to one another, and nodded their little heads firmly, assuring him to sit by the fire. 

Jack slowly walked over and sat in-between the twins and a young boy wrapped in bandages. 

“How did you guys get out this far?” 

 

“We were part of the... ‘movement',” the large one replied, “We had another member…. but…we lost him midway.” 

“Lost him?” Jack asked, worried as to which kind of “lost” it would be. 

The girl with the hat sniffled, wiping her nose. “He was captured by the Sandman.” 

“….He wouldn’t happen to be Jamie Bennett, would he?” 

 

The kids all looked to Jack and gasped. “You know him?” Asked one of the twins. 

“Yeah, I actually got him out of the prison! You should have seen the look on the Sandman’s face.” 

The young boy with wraps adjusted his glasses. “So you were with him? Where- where is he now?” 

Jack suddenly fell silent. There was no way he could tell these guys the truth. He didn’t even have the time to truly accept Jamie was dead yet himself. 

He took a deep breath, and forced a small smile. 

“I don’t know…the Sandman pursued us, and we got separated during the chase….” 

 

The kids seemed to accept the answer in solemn silence. 

“Shame, would have been good to see him again.” Said the big girl. 

One of the twins curled in on himself further, his head hanging low. “Maybe its … a good thing Jamie didn’t come with you. If he saw what they did to the bodies of the other kids when they die……..I don’t think he could have bared it.” 

Jack was puzzled for a moment. “What do you mean? What are they doing with the bodies out there?” 

The twins exchanged looks, and gazed back at Jack, their eyes wide and haunted. “They eat them.” 

 

Chills ran up Jack’s spine, his teeth clenched in fury. 

“..Who is ‘they’?” 

The kids all looked down into the fire, refusing to meet Jack’s eyes. 

Its clear these kids took on more than they could handle. They’ve witnessed unspeakable things in this place, it was best if they stopped while they were ahead. 

Jack looked to the ground in thought. He remembered he and his sister, one rainy night. They were by the fire place in their old wooden home in the big city. 

Mary had a nightmare, and their mother was out. Jack put on a show to distract her. They both went to bed smiling and laughing, holding each other closely. 

Let him be damned if Jack was gonna leave these kids on such a sour note. 

 

Jack put on a genuine smile. “Hey, you guys ever heard of the 'Man in the Moon'?” 

The kids looked up to Jack, watching him in confusion. A couple of them shook their heads. 

Good, Jack had their full attention. 

“Yep. He’s a man on the moon who has great adventures up there. He can jump two stories high with little effort. The moon dust shines beneath his feet. 

The stars surround him all day every day, and he builds robots and befriends moon moths in his spare time.” 

“Moon moths aren’t real!” Piped up one of the twins. 

“How would you know? Have you every been to the moon?” Jack smiled accusingly. 

The other twin laughed at the other’s attempt to shut down the story, his brother glaring at him. 

 

“I wish I could go to the moon and live with that man….” Said the skinnier girl, sorrow written on her features. 

Jack scrunched his eyebrows in sympathy. “The man in the moon wishes the same. You see, he’s very lonely up there. 

He loves children like you guys so very much. He collects balloons, and listens to your wishes. If you’re lucky, he’s able to select a wish,

just one, every year, and grants it to the child who needs it the most.” 

The children all looked at him in stunned bliss. 

“We gotta make a balloon and ask him to get us out of here.” Said the blonde child, adjusting his glasses. 

Jack, a boy who has lived his life in nothing but bad endings, was determined to give these kids a good one. 

“One day, the Man in the Moon will hear from one of us. He will find all of us trapped in this awful place under the sea. 

When he finds out the person responsible for our suffering, he will send down a knight to save us.” 

 

“A knight?” Asked the large girl, leaning forward in interest. 

“Yes, a knight. A young knight that will slip past the jaws of this forsaken place. Disguised as a normal child, he will defeat every last bit of evil in this boat….

and then he will confront the Lord. Baring his teeth, he will defeat him, and free us all.” 

 

The children were stunned, and after a beat of silence, all clapped their hands and cheered. 

“Is…is that really true, Jack? Will….will we be saved?” Asked the thin girl, her eyes brimmed with tears. 

Jack nodded. “Yes. So hold out a little while longer. I’m certain the Man in the Moon will hear our plea for help soon.” 

 

With that, Jack knew it was time to leave, a new found blood thirst thrumming in his being. He needed to get to the bottom of this, and fast. 

He needed to stop the Lord of the Maw. For the sake of Mary, Jamie and his friends, and every single child in this god forsaken place. 

Jack stood, noticing the chilled breath of the young ones surrounding the fire. 

“You’re…you’re leaving?” Asked the small one with glasses. 

“Yeah, sorry. I have….I can’t just…sit around and wait for the knight. I want to…I want to find him and help him.” 

The large girl squinted her eyes, pulling the blanket off her head. “You’re very brave, Jack.” 

 

Jack nodded, accepting the compliment. “Stay here and hold out, guys. I hope…..I hope you find Jamie again soon.” 

“Thanks for the story Jack. It helped.” The twin with the hat said, a look of sincerity plastered on his face. 

Jack smiled. “No problem. It was nice meeting all of you. Please, stay safe. We’ll get through this together.” 

The children waved and shouted goodbye as Jack climbed stacked up furniture to get to higher ground, away from their warm little fire. 

“He was nice.” Said the boy with glasses. 

The skinny girl with the scarf rung her hands near the fire nervously… 

“…..Hey…guys….?”

The kids all turned to look at her, surprised at how talkative she’s become since Jack visited. 

 

"That story Jack told…. 

Do you think…

he’s ….our Knight?” 

 


	8. Secret of the Nomes

Jamie was exhausted from his encounter with… the “grandpa” from the deep waters in the basement. 

He had run for quite some time, and his eye lids were twitching from his lack of sleep. 

Before he could ponder further, he tripped on a loose floor board and seemed to crash downward into a pile of hard coal. 

Everything went black. 

 

Jamie awoke to the strange sound of croaking. He slowly looked up only to find himself surrounded by stubby little Nomes. 

Spooked by their unexpected guest’s awakening, the little creatures quickly ran away. 

Maybe they could help him find a way out of here….they always seemed to know their way around. 

Jamie slowly stood up, brushing himself off. As he walked toward the next room, he stopped and did a double take. 

No…was there really a flashlight on the ground? 

Jamie quickly hopped over to it, and to his immense surprise, it still worked. Something finally went right today. What a miracle! 

 

Jamie shook it, charging its battery, allowing the light to increase. 

As he slowly ventured into the room, he came across two little nomes. One squeezed its way through the board in a tall door, but the other….got stuck. 

Jamie laughed at its small feet, wriggling, trying to get free. 

“Hang on, I’ll help you.” 

Jamie put away his flash light, and walked over to the little Nome. 

He grabbed a hold of its feet, pulled, and with a pop, the Nome flung backwards. 

The poor little Nome curled in on itself in fear, ready to accept whatever Jamie would do to it. 

 

Jamie realized this with horror, and cautiously approached the little creature. 

Gently, he lifted it into his arms, and gave it a warm hug. 

The Nome instantly perked up, and started to follow him. 

Jamie tossed it upward to reach the handle of the door, which it promptly opened for him. 

Encountering dozens of these little guys was not something Jamie expected. He traveled room to room, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. 

He’s never seen so many of these small creatures…perhaps he’s found their nest? 

One by one, he befriended each little Nome he came across, and they helped him in every task he performed. 

 

Upon deeper exploration, Jamie came across something even more intriguing. The boiler room. The engine for the ship. 

The Nomes were workers here, taking little pieces of coal and chucking it into the fire. The engine was like a beast itself, roaring, steam emitting from its tops. 

An elevator system seemed to go straight up through the ceiling, delivering carts of coal upward, into the unknown. 

Jamie had no idea how deep this ship went, but he was certain he was still on one of its lowest decks, if not still in the basement. Nothing was flooded here, but it was still so……so far down. 

Jamie figured, if there’s any place he should go, it should be up. 

Whispering the little workers goodbye, Jamie struggled but managed to climb on top one of the coal carts. 

He watched as the Nomes got smaller and smaller from view, and sinking sense of loneliness enveloped him. 

 

As soon as he reached the top, Jamie jumped out of the cart and onto the ground. 

If he hadn’t jumped when he did, he may have been dumped into the incinerator, or maybe the upper part of the engine down below. 

Whatever the case, he kept moving forward. 

Very quickly, he came across a small Nome that was peering at him from between a small crawl space. 

It seemed to usher him to follow it….that’s strange….he didn’t think he would see more Nomes up here… 

 

Jamie cautiously followed, only to come into the room with a single box against the wall. No Nomes in sight. 

The young boy shrugged it off, but still felt an eerie atmosphere. It was too quiet. 

Regardless, he quickly strode over to the box, which was clearly blocking the crawl space into the next room. 

He pushed and pushed, but had to stop and catch his breath, sweat falling from his brow. 

The box was too heavy, there was no way he could do this on his own. 

 

A small croak was heard from the corner, and Jamie was happy to see a small Nome had appeared. 

He was about to ask it to help him, but all he could do was stand there in awe as he watched the room fill up with Nomes. 

There must have been at least seven or ten of them……they all surrounded him, but quickly went around him. 

Together they all picked up the box, and moved it to the side, one by one entering the small crawl hole. 

The smallest Nome, approached it, but looked back at him. 

Jamie stepped forward, following the small Nome. 

 

A warming light at the center of the room….toys, books, dolls, boxes, and cloth all cluttered the small room. 

There were dozens of Nomes standing and sitting, admiring the fire’s calming embrace. 

Jamie’s eyes shined with the light, and he slowly walked to stand and enjoy it with them. 

After a minute of feeling the warm return to his body, the smaller Nome had come to stand next to him, and held his hand. 

The Nome’s hand was so small and so cold… but… this little Nome reminded him of his younger sister. 

 

Jamie smiled, squeezing the tiny hand, reminiscing about the old days…

until his eyes trailed off to the floor, and he noticed something peculiar about the Nome’s shadow. 

Jamie squinted, confused as to what he was seeing. 

This Nome…no…all the Nomes….their shadows….weren’t pointy and small….

they were…they were the shadows of children. 

 

Jamie’s heart seemed to stop. These Nomes…..the Nomes….were children. 

Who did this to them? How could they? These children are cursed to be this way forever now… forever slaves to the Maw… 

Jamie’s eyes shone with tears, his lip quivered. This place was awful. He hoped Jack wouldn’t get turned into a Nome. 

He hoped no one else would get turned into a Nome…. 

The little Nome next to him croaked, trying to get the boy’s attention. 

Jamie got down on one knee, and the Nome promptly wiped away his tears and hugged him. 

Jamie hugged it back, squeezing tightly, not wanting to let go. 

 

But he had to. He had to get out of here. He had to free these poor kids from whatever curse that was cast upon them. 

Jamie turned, and continued on his journey. He started to climb up a stack of boxes, following lit candles into a vent. 

He paused, hearing a croak below him. Looking back, he saw the little Nome, standing there. Its stubby arms could not 

allow it to follow. Jamie looked back, sadness washing over him once more. 

The little Nome noticed it’s friend’s pain, and waved a goodbye to him cheerfully. 

Jamie smiled, nodding to acknowledge his friend’s departing wishes. 

 

Jamie did his best not to look back. The walls started to shake around him, a strange squealing noise was emitting from beneath him. 

There was no going back. He was terrified, but he had to face whatever was in store for him, head on. 

Jamie pushed open the vent, only to fall on top of…what appeared to be, an elevator. 

It started its journey upwards, and Jamie started to feel strange. 

He felt a sinking dread, his fear churning into anxiety…. 

the walls seemed to whisper, he started to get sleepy…

he had a horrid feeling…someone was watching him. 

 

His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell over into a deep sleep. 

Little did he know, the passenger in the elevator below…..looking above at him…. 

was none other than the great fiend himself: The Lord of the Maw. 

 


	9. The Cooks

It wasn’t long after Jack had left Jamie’s group and he had fallen to his knees, shaking with hunger once more. 

There were smells all around him, but he was so disoriented he couldn’t focus on any of them. 

A snap and a squeak beckoned him into the next room. 

His mouth watered, his body queazy… 

In a horrific instance, he seemed to black out, feasting upon the small animal in a fit of craving. 

When he came to, there was red on his hands, and he was half obligated to hurl what just entered his digestive system. 

But in fear he’d just become more hungry and eat something else, he carried on. 

 

The smells he sensed earlier soon enveloped him. They must have triggered his hunger pains. 

Boy, did some of it smell good. Meats, fruits, cheeses, breads….some foods Jack had only ever dreamed of in his poor little home….all of it was here. 

In the kitchens. 

Jack saw a sink and looked down at his stained hands. He was happy he didn’t get any of it on his hoodie. He really liked this hoodie, its the only bright thing in this place, aside from his glow stick. 

Turning on the faucet, Jack rubbed his hands together and added a pinch of dish soap.

He started to hum subconsciously as he used to with his mother back then. He always helped out with the chores whenever he could…

 

Loud foot steps shook the floor, a chill ran up Jack’s spine. He nearly slipped off the stool he had been standing on to reach the high sink. 

Acting quick, Jack used the soapy floor to slide underneath one of the tables at the center of the room. 

Peeking out, he saw the pursuer. Or….pursuers. Two large furry creatures barreled into the room, eyeing the running faucet in panicked confusion. 

They turned it off, and searched underneath the sink, observing its pipes…or perhaps looking to see if anyone was there. 

They gave up their search, looked to one another and started garbling in some strange language. 

Jack noticed they were wearing aprons, and had chef hats over their head. They must be the cooks of the Maw. 

 

Suddenly, there was a smell that reached Jack’s nostrils that…didn’t smell like the other food in this kitchen. 

No, what he smelled was rotten. Flesh of a host that recently passed. He watched as one of the strange furry men walked over to one of the white bundles they had on the counter, and untied it. Small parts of a body started to dangle over the counter, pots and pans were placed on the stove, the fire igniting- 

Jack looked away, holding his palm over his mouth and nose, and shut his eyes in disgust. They were using the bodies of deceased children as FOOD?! 

Jack tried to think on the bright side, at least they didn’t take them and boil them alive. Or….maybe they just don’t get the chance to. 

He didn’t want to find out if they had a bloodlust for fresh meat, which was a high probability at this rate. 

 

Jack maneuvered his way around the kitchen, unseen. It wasn’t until he came across a door with a padlock on its handle. 

Damn. He was gonna have to backtrack and figure out where these creepy cooks were hiding their key. 

Jack’s head snapped around when he heard the steps of one of them coming closer to his location. 

Luckily, Jack was learning the knacks of parkour, and immediately climbed up a white shelf, and hoisted himself up onto the wooden boards above. 

Looking at the beasts more closely, they looked like something out of a winter fairy tale. Kinda like….”yeti” or “bigfoot”. Calling them Big Feet was tempting, but Jack had no time to figure out what they truly were, since one spotted him. 

 

They growled and shouted, trying to throw bottles of glass at him. 

Jack dodged them all with no problem, he was lucky they weren’t tall enough to reach him. 

Swiftly, Jack found his way into what he assumed to be the beast’s quarters. Knocking down a key above their heater, he made his way back to the door, and unlocked it with ease. 

But he just ended up in another part of the kitchen. Looking up, he saw that same hook system railing attached to the ceiling. If he could find the switch to turn it on, he might just get out of this place. 

 

He managed to find the power button, but that also revealed his location to the Yeti that were still searching for him. 

Jack managed to grab a hook and make it half way into the next room over. But one of the yeti was on higher ground this time, almost within reaching distance. 

Panicking, Jack let go of the hook and landed hard on the ground. The door behind him burst open to reveal the other beast. Their hats were discarded as they ran after him, desperate to get their hands on fresh meat. Jack ran, sliding into soap once more, allowing his steps to be quicker and smoother among the floor. 

Looking forward, there was a great ravine ahead of him. Just like the area where he lost Jamie. The fall would be fatal if he missed his aim. 

Get cooked alive or fall to his death. Neither of these were viable options. Jack decided he would do neither. 

 

With a final sprint, he leapt into the air and caught onto a hook in record timing, soap bubbles flying off his dangling feet; the yeti screeching out to him. 

Jack didn’t bother looking back. He didn’t want to know what else those beasts put into their stews. He was even more disturbed as to who dared even eat stews with children in it. Seems like some of the Maw rumors were true. He cursed that Bunny with all his being. How dare it bring them to a place like this. 

Their living situation was poor and stressful. But it was nothing like the hell that was this place. He could not wait to be free. 

 


	10. The Bellhop

Jack found himself running toward a large wall, water cascading down from between the panels. 

A bright light and the smell of salt beckoned him toward a porthole; 10 feet up a ladder against the cold metal. 

Climbing the ladder, the bright warm light within reach, Jack felt as though he were ascending for a mere glimpse at heaven. 

As the sunlit waters of the sea hit his eyes, tears fell out of his own blue pools, gazing into the outside. 

A boat horn blew loud and clear, and Jack stepped outward. 

A second, far smaller boat was anchored next to the Maw; the hellish boat’s jaws opened and awaiting large guests… making their way across the board connecting the two boats. 

A small seagull flit down and perched upon a pipe that stuck out to the side, slightly above Jack’s head. 

Jack stretched out his body, his chest thrust forward as he inhaled fresh air for the first time in weeks. Perhaps months. Perhaps years. 

Holding onto the ladder with just one side of his body, he stayed, enjoying the peaceful serenity. The calm before the typhoon. 

One last look, and Jack turned back, gripping the handle bars with such fierceness. Back to the task at hand. 

He began his slow ascension, the ladder long and perilous. 

 

He came up to the highest he could go, looking back one last time to the swirling blue seas and the sunset sky. 

He closed his eyes and crawled through the broken ship’s hull. 

High up, balancing on floorboards and pipes, following alongside the heavy adults…their feet clomping and thundering through the hallways. 

Who were these people? Finely dressed, large, hats and dresses. Obese and smelly. 

They walked on red carpet, headed toward beautiful Japanese-styled rooms with orange-lit lanterns…

The heavy and dizzy stench of Sake, Wine, and cooked meats…

No doubt, these people were guests, the children eaters…disgusting. 

 

Jack couldn’t believe humans like this existed. No, they were monsters. 

Anyone who sneaks out to sea for forbidden gluttonous indulgence has abandoned their humanity long ago. 

Turning his face, his nose scrunching in disgust, he crawled his way across a beam, hoping to never see these creatures again. 

Chills crawled up Jack’s spine, and he stopped in his tracks. An old childhood fear struck him like a deer in headlights. 

The feeling of being watched… he turned his head to his right, looking up to a tall figure standing above the guests, observing all below it. 

A mask covered its face, long black robes dangling off the balcony. White light causing its shadow to contrast greatly in front of it. 

The Lord of the Maw. 

Sweat beaded down Jack’s brow. There was his enemy. The man he swore to defeat and stop this operation, whatever it was. 

But there were too many people here. The Lord may as well toss him into the crowd to be fought over and eaten alive. 

Now was not the time or the place. 

 

Jack was unsure if the Lord had spotted him for sure. 

Either way, Jack needed to move fast. He quickly made his way into a room away from the chaos, sliding down a pipe, waiting until his feet finally hit the ground. 

He started to run, noticing how well cleaned and fancy these rooms were. Something boiled deep inside his gut, something unpleasant and twisted. 

The children lived in such poor cramped conditions, and these ….foul….DEMONIC BEASTS….got THIS kind of treatment? 

Before Jack could contemplate handling his rage, he heard strange squeaking noises flying around his head. 

He panicked, thinking they were large mosquitoes. 

 

Swatting at them, pulling his hood further over his head, he ran- eyes glued to the floor looking for a weapon. 

Before he could get a way, these strange insects swerved around his head, and plucked him right off the ground. 

Jack looked up, finally recognizing the sound as rapid bird wings. 

There were birds in the Maw?! What more surprises awaited him? 

 

“Oh! Oh dear! My dearies! Who- who is this?” 

Jack opened his eyes in surprise, a young woman’s voice reached his ears. 

Beautiful colors stood out among the dark walls. Shining wings fluttered rapidly as this feathered creature flung herself forward, attempting to reach out to Jack, only to be yanked back to her desk by the noose leash wrapped around her neck. 

She chocked, and pulled herself back. 

“A child! A child!? How did you get here darling?” 

 

The birds kept Jack in the air, preventing him from running away. 

He swished his legs, struggling to get free. 

“I- I came a long way-“ 

Jack stopped himself. Maybe he shouldn’t engage in conversation with this lady. She’s different…. colorful, pretty voice, but…. Jack can’t trust anyone in this place. 

The birds flew Jack closer to the woman. 

“Oh- Oh my…your teeth….so beautiful.” 

Jack looked down at the desk in front of the chimera. A call bell, papers, pencils, keys, and strange phone-like objects were on and around her desk. 

A bellhop who served the guests. Why is she tied to her desk? 

 

She suddenly pulled tweezers out from a drawer to her right.  

“Hold still, sweetie. Please, just one… a small pearly white….I haven’t seen a fresh one in so long…” 

Jack caught on to her intentions quickly. 

He responded with a foot in her face as he back flipped away from her, wrenching his way out of the three pests’ beaks. 

His feet hit the floor with grace, and he took off as quickly as he could; hearing the bird lady screech behind him, and the whistling wings of the small birds pursuing him inching closer by the second. 

Expertly making his way through the rooms and vents, he managed to out run those pesky birds. 

The woman was clearly deranged….however, he had never seen something so pretty in the world let alone the Maw… 

He wondered why she was tied down to her desk despite her clear interest in stealing teeth. 

Jack morbidly laughed at the thought of the chimera stealing guest’s teeth, the Lord getting angry with her and locking her up. 

At least that way for a time, they wouldn’t have been able to eat any food mixed with children. 

But alas, Jack's heart was too big for this place, for he still felt a little sorry for her. 

 

But he wouldn’t come back for her. His priority was the children. 

His priority was the Lord of the Maw. 

He gazed into the dining rooms in front of him, the sounds of gorging and slurping made his stomach flip. 

But he’d go through them all. He’d go through a million jaws to get to the Shadow Lord and put a stop to him. 

And he would do just that.

 


	11. The Lord's Quarters

Jamie woke up in the elevator shaft that was now dead silent. 

He shook his head and rubbed his drooping eyelids, ushering his grogginess away. 

There wasn’t much strength in him after his quick wake up, but he climbed up the raptures and stumbled into the next room. 

He landed hard on a pile of old dusty books. Two chairs sat by the dying fire. This place was eerie, the silence made him hallucinate whispers into his tiny ears… 

 

Jamie had heard of the Lord of the Maw, or was rather warned about him from Jack. 

If this luxurious place was indeed the Lord’s Quarters, he was in big trouble. 

A soft, low humming echoed from the room over, a small tinkering music box playing along with the voice. 

Peering around the corner, there, Jamie saw him. 

Tall, elegant, menacing. The Lord of the Maw. 

His robes were long, ill-colored, and his face wore a porcelain mask. 

The Lord was surrounded by children’s dolls placed delicately on shelves and pillows. 

His delicate, boney hands caressed a golden locket that rung the tune he resonated with so perfectly. 

 

It was sad and serene to see the master of this place like this. 

But Jamie was still terrified. He remembered hearing rumors though, that the Lord smells your fear. You must be quiet and quick. 

You must be brave and bold. 

Determined, Jamie flicked on his flashlight, and slowly strode across the threshold the Lord stood upon. 

He watched the tall man, dead silent, until he made his way into the next room. 

 

Portraits, libraries, sculptures, lamps, carpets, clocks….the room was massive, a large staircase with three stories of rooms hung high above his little head.

Where would he even start? 

 

Finding a way out proved more difficult than he ever imagined. 

This place was full of puzzles and traps. The Lord might have had unwanted company before. 

Jamie seemed to notice the portraits on the walls. Many were of the masked Lord himself, and yet….many were of…strange people. 

A few he was familiar with: the Sandman, the now deceased forgotten man at the bottom of the flooded decks below. 

Others were of the Bunnyman, a winged colorful woman, hairy creatures, and so many other twisted and disturbing faces. 

But Jamie, in his travels, discovered two portraits out of place, separated far apart from the rest, and in terrible condition. 

One was of a man. A man who looked normal, if not kind and gentle. Round was his face, pastel blue were his eyes. Blonde and well dressed, a smile plastered on his face. But dusty and rotting was his portrait, tossed on the floor, glass shattered and the canvas ripped… what rage was beget from this man toward the Lord? 

How wrongful the indiscretion, how much trifle did they face? 

 

By the Lord’s power, the round faced man must have been dealt with long ago. But why was his portrait there in the first place? 

Jamie couldn’t help but be curious. He felt like he was a detective on a mission, almost forgetting about his main objective to leave this place for a moment. 

It was all so intriguing. 

But the second portrait, one he found stowed away, locked up in an old chest… 

A girl. 

Raven hair, bold green eyes, posture upright and elegant. Almost like the lord himself. 

A picture of a young child, her likeness so akin to the Lord….a daughter? 

Her picture left to dust, her face stained… remnants of tears on the page…. 

Chills crawled up his spine…. 

 

Jamie jumped as something giggled in his ear. His head snapped to the side, eyes wide with fear, and watched as the shadows moved. 

He ran from the room; the shadows quick to follow. 

He only now noticed the humming ceased, the rooms were dark, and he was not alone. 

Shadows of Children arose from the floor, laughing and snickering, surrounding little Jamie. 

The ashes of those turned to statues scattered along the floor, the souls stuck inside were now let out to play…. 

…and they wanted Jamie to join them. 

 

Flickering his flashlight was the only way to disintegrate the spirits, their porcelain masks shattered upon their demise. 

He managed to escape them, his feet halting when he heard panicked heavy breathing down the hallway. 

One foot after the other, the carpet silencing his footsteps, peering around the corner, and there, he saw it… 

the Lord of the Maw….his face….old and rotting. Drooping eyes and mouth as though his face harbored black holes… 

Slender fingers desperately itched at his complexion as he weeped and whimpered. 

 

Jamie lost his breath, he could not tear his eyes away. 

He stepped forward, as if to see closer… but the floorboard creaked, giving away his position. 

The Lord’s head snapped up, and through the mirror, saw little Jamie. 

He screamed in rage, the light bulbs popped, the mirror shattered, and everything went cold. 

Jamie’s breath smoked out of his body, his feet were numb and his teeth chattered. 

He heard a strange wind, and he found the Lord levitating towards him. 

and then, he ran. 

 


	12. Captured

It was no use. His flash light wouldn’t work on the Lord like the shadow children. 

The Lord circled, floating between all his strange sculptures, clothing, and ancient artifacts. 

The room was cold, Jamie’s breath smoking from his chilled lungs. 

Pieces of shattered mirrors were scattered upon the floor. He searched for defense to no avail. 

The Lord was playing with him. Jamie could tell, he was scaring him into a corner. 

A cat chasing a mouse, until it gets bored and decides to pounce. 

….and the Lord pounced. 

 

Heavy gravity fell upon little Jamie, knocking the flash light out of his hands. 

Strange vibrating noises rung in his ears; the Lord appeared from the darkness, inching closer. 

His long boney hands twirled as if he were puppeteering the black ooze that dripped from his palms. 

Telekinetic abilities grabbed hold of Jamie, lifting him into the air, nearly eye level with the tall man. 

There was no escaping, this was where Jamie met his end. 

 

He felt sick, his body started to warp, something was being sucked out of him. 

His eyes snapped shut, it was hard to breathe. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered a name…

“….Jack…” 

 

A few minutes later, Jamie awoke. His clothes were discarded next to him, his flash light cracked and broken. 

He peered down to his tiny feet, and screeched in surprise. 

All that came out of his mouth was a strange croak. His body was warped. It was small and bony, aged and sickly. 

He found a shattered mirror piece and peaked into it, quickly looking away to his horror. 

He had turned into what he assumed to be….one of the little “Nome” creatures that wandered this place. 

The Lord was responsible for such a thing? 

He made the children eternally work, powering the ship’s engine for his disgusting operation? 

 

Jamie stood up, but he was so weak now. His little feet couldn’t run as fast. He could not jump as far. There was no way he could escape like this. 

But he refused to weep. Not in the Lord’s Quarters. 

Jamie managed to escape the place of his last human moments, finding a red hat and green socks along the way. 

He was near a bunch of large people stuffing their gobs, perhaps one of them grabbed hold of a nome child, ate them, and spat out their clothes. 

Disgusted by the thought though Jamie was, he couldn’t allow himself to walk around so…naked. 

He was ashamed of what he had become. He failed. He couldn’t see his sister ever again….and Jack…what happened to Jack? 

Did Jack become one of the Nomes too? 

Should he warn him? COULD he warn him, the way he was now? 

 

Jamie hadn’t been paying attention to where he was walking. He finally ceased his thoughts for the sake of his sanity and gazed around the room. 

It was small and dirty. Empty bottles and dirty cloth were hanging from a tall shelf. 

A small forgotten sausage lay on the cold floor. Jamie didn’t even have a mouth anymore. 

Not that the food of the Maw was to be missed, but…. 

Jamie’s despair was silenced by the sound of panicked breathing coming from the door way across from him. 

 

A bright blue hoodie, brown strapped pants. Snow white hair…

…

Jack. 

 


	13. Consumed

“Jack? Jack?! Its you! You’re-!” 

Little Jamie was so excited he could hardly contain himself. 

He seemed to forget for a moment that Jack wouldn’t recognize him or even understand him. 

Jack was shivering, clenching his clawed fists into his abdomen. 

His breath was hurling out of his mouth in steam puffs. Funny, Jamie didn’t think the room felt cold. 

 

Jack must be hungry! Of course! 

Jamie fetched the sausage that rested near him, and reached out his stubby little arms in offering to Jack. 

Jamie thought he would never see his friend ever again…. but now…they could finally be together. He could warn Jack about the Lord and his power, about the Nomes…they could escape together. Hope has returned!

The little Nome's heart soared, if he still had a mouth, he would be bearing the widest smile he'd ever have. 

….. 

 

"I’m…I’m a moron. I was so busy running from the guests, running from those flittering pests….I forgot to grab food again…"

Jack stumbled, his vision blurring. He felt his body shake…he was freezing. It felt as though frost itself was spreading upon his clothes and bare feet. 

He felt ill with hunger, his mind slowly leaving him. 

A sudden noise allowed his head to peek upward at the small Nome offering meat to him. 

…Yes…. 

Food….. 

Inhaling the delicious scent before him made his eyes roll into the back of his head. He was delirious. There was no going back. 

 

The sausage was cast aside, the room became dark and the temperature dropped. 

White fangs lunged outward from Jack’s mouth, wet with drool and ever so threatening. 

He held the squirming creature down, lingering over it, and bit down. 

 

Jack awoke, blood on his hands, and a Nome….dead on the floor. 

His hunger kept getting stranger and stranger…he craved more than just food. He wanted…demanded…living essence. 

He needed it, it was all that could sustain him. Why would he feel so full without disposing of the body in full? The phenomenon messed with his head. 

 Consuming this small Nome should have horrified him. 

But after what he’s seen and heard…. he was numb. 

 

Sacrifices needed to be made if he wanted to get out of here. He’s already lost everything else….what more was a small, insignificant Nome? 

Its not like it was a child, or even human. 

Still, the feeling that crawled up Jack’s back made him shiver. A heavy dread weighed on his heart and mind.

He came upon a tall elevator, painted black in fresh paint. 

The Lord was mere minutes away from him. 

Jack would make him pay for this. 

For all of this. 

 

For Mary, Jamie, the children….

and for the monster Jack was slowly becoming.

 


	14. The Great Finale

The Lord stood by his old ebony wood desk. It’s surface was dusty and seldom touched. 

He hummed an ominous low tune as he stitched a tear in his sleeve. 

Jack ducked low, and snuck past him. 

He could sense it, the curious power the Lord wielded. He wouldn’t win if he just charged in without a plan. 

 

A golden key resided in a porcelain pot within the Lord’s bedroom. 

Jack could not stick his hand inside, his only option was to push it off the desk. 

At once the pot shattered to the floor, the key now free. 

An audible gasp from the other room forced Jack to hide and hold his breath for what was to come. 

Which, to his surprise, was nothing. 

 

Jack took the key in hand, eyeing the sliced and covered portraits of a young girl with black hair that seemed to litter the Lord’s quarters, before leaving to the next room. 

The Lord gave chase, but Jack was quicker. Shadows danced upon the walls, surrounding…following…watching…. 

Soon Jack came upon a boarded doorway. He made quick work of undoing the blockage, the boards flying up behind him. 

Within the dim lit room sat a soft old pillow. Resting upon it, a small golden locket. 

Jack held it up by its chain, and dared a look inside. 

 

A young girl, hair black as a raven’s feather, eyes green as emerald stones. Face fair, collar high…no doubt. 

This girl, this locket…. it would surely protect him from the monster he was about to face…waiting for him in the previous room. 

Striding outward, Jack ran to the spotlight on the floor. 

The Lord circled, and Jack reflected the light from the ceiling. The locket seemed to magnify this light and glow with such brilliance, it harmed the Lord. 

He screeched and retreated, glaring at the young child, trying to trick him and sneak up behind him. 

But Jack wouldn’t falter; with a final blow, the light from the locket shattered the tall man’s mask, and the room went dark. 

 

His stomach twirled and growled, his breath became heavy, and his teeth shot out. 

The Lord was weeping and panting, barely keeping his head off the floor by his elbows. 

Jack slowly approached, no remorse or consideration for what he was about to do. 

The Lord’s face was shadowed over. No further secrets to be revealed. But before he could glimpse up into the eyes of the one who defeated him, he felt teeth in his neck. 

 

Black shadows swirled around them, Jack swallowed the essence of the monster that caused all this. 

Finally, Jack’s hunger was satisfied. He would never go hungry again. 

Not with the power he just received. Oh no…

...but… 

 On second thought, he wouldn’t mind a little desert. 

 

The elevator doors opened, a banquet of sloppy old creatures feasted before him. 

They fell to the floor, inching closer to him, just wishing for a taste of his live flesh. 

But they didn’t get a chance, their bodies went limp. 

Black wind swirled around Jack as he strode down the carpeted hall. The lights popped and flickered, the monsters’ souls long gone. 

The doors responded to him, and only him. 

Striding up the stairs, he carried the memory of little Mary, little Jamie, and all the unfortunate souls that slept upon this ship. 

He’d sink this hellhole. He’d destroy everyone and everything that built this place. He’d free all of them. 

 

As the sun touched his cold skin, and the wind played with his hood, Jack breathed in the salty air once more. 

The Nomes watched him leave to the surface, but they knew he would return. He was now in charge of this place. 

What was to come for the future, was unknown. 

A distant blow of the ship’s horn shook the hearts of all in the Maw, and the waves swayed, lulling them to sleep…. 

Jack removed his hood, his sclera now black and ice flowered beneath his feet. 

 

…and eyes as blue as the faces of the dead in the Maw. 

 

~fin 


End file.
